Baner-Pashan Link Road to Be Completed in 6 Months: Bombay HC Orders PMC to Act

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Baner-Pashan Link Road to Be Completed Within 6 Months: Bombay HC Sets Deadline for PMC

In a significant move to address long-standing infrastructure delays, the Bombay High Court has issued a strict directive to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to complete the long-pending Baner-Pashan link road within six months. The two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M.S. Karnik, has mandated that the land acquisition process be completed within two months, followed by completion of construction within the next four months.

This legal intervention comes after years of delay and public inconvenience surrounding the 36-meter-wide, 1.2 km Baner-Pashan link road, which remains incomplete due to a 200-meter stretch that has yet to be constructed.

Court’s Stern Response to PMC Delays

The directive was issued while hearing a petition filed by the Baner-Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust, a citizen collective advocating for the timely completion of the vital road link.

The road was sanctioned in 1992, with construction beginning much later in 2014. However, due to delays in acquiring certain land parcels, a 200-meter section of the road remains unfinished, rendering the entire route underutilized and causing daily traffic congestion in the region.

Despite previous court orders issued in August 2023, which required the PMC to provide a detailed timeline for both land acquisition and construction, the civic body failed to make substantial progress. This prompted the court to intervene once again and impose a firm deadline for both acquisition and completion.

What the High Court Ordered

In its latest ruling, the Bombay High Court has directed the following:

- The District Magistrate must ensure that land acquisition is completed within two months from the date of the order.

- Upon handing over possession of the land to the PMC, the remaining 200 meters of road must be constructed within four month.

This brings the total expected time for completion to six months, meaning that, if followed strictly, the road could be ready by Diwali 2025, bringing immense relief to the area's residents.

Why This Road Matters

The Baner-Pashan link road is not just a stretch of asphalt—it is a critical connector for the rapidly growing areas of Baner, Balewadi, and Pashan. According to the petitioners, the road’s completion is set to directly benefit over 2.5 lakh residents, easing traffic flow and improving emergency access routes.

Currently, due to the incomplete portion, residents and commuters are forced to navigate narrow, congested internal roads, increasing travel time, risking pedestrian safety, and worsening traffic bottlenecks.

Petitioners Demand Accountability

Advocate Satya Muley, who represented the Baner-Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust, emphasized the years of delay and excuses provided by the PMC. Addressing the media after the hearing, Muley said:

> “With this final, clear-cut order, residents can now hope to see the road completed by this year’s Diwali. It’s a much-needed solution to the daily traffic chaos and safety concerns in the area. We are grateful to the judiciary for recognizing the urgency.”

Muley also acknowledged the continuous efforts of residents and citizen groups who have stood together in seeking legal remedies to what should have been a routine infrastructure project.

Long-Awaited Timeline at Last

Here’s a quick breakdown of the new timeline as per the High Court’s order:

Sure! Here's the same information converted into clear and concise sentences:

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been directed to complete land acquisition within two months from the date of the Bombay High Court’s order. Once the land is handed over, the construction of the remaining 200-meter stretch of the Baner-Pashan link road must be completed within the following four months. This sets the total project timeline at six months, with an expected completion by Diwali 2025.

This is the first time in years that such a definitive and court-mandated timeline has been imposed on the PMC for this project.

Past Delays and Missed Deadlines

The Baner-Pashan road saga is not new. Since its sanction in 1992, the project has seen:

- Delayed kick-off in 2014

- Multiple court petitions and public demands

- Land ownership disputes

- PMC’s repeated failure to act despite court directions in 2021 and 2023

The most recent delay led the court to seek an affidavit from the PMC explaining their inaction, prompting the latest ruling.

What Completion Will Mean for Pune’s Urban Mobility

Once finished, the Baner-Pashan link road is expected to:

- Drastically reduce congestion on University Road and Sus Road

- Provide an alternate route for traffic from Balewadi to Pashan and Aundh

- Improve response times for ambulances and emergency vehicles

- Offer better pedestrian pathways and safer crossings

It will also enhance liveability in Pune’s western corridor, which has seen a boom in residential, commercial, and educational institutions over the last decade.

Conclusion: Judicial Push Paves the Way Forward

The Bombay High Court’s intervention has set a critical precedent for infrastructure accountability. In a city like Pune, where urban sprawl continues to outpace road development, legal mandates may often be the only route to ensure civic bodies deliver on long-pending projects.

For the residents of Baner, Pashan, and Balewadi, the next six months could finally deliver the connectivity they’ve waited for over a decade. With land acquisition to be completed in two months and road construction in four, the Baner-Pashan link road might just be ready in time for Diwali—lighting up not just homes, but the roads too.